Material handling apparatus



Oct. 9, 1945. -w. c. EWALDSO N MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 15,- 1943 2 Sheets Sh eet 1' YNl/EN 70/? W C. EWAL DSON ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 1945, w. c. EWALDSON MATERIAL HANDLING APRARATUS' 2 Sheet S-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 15, 1943 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1945 I "2,386,547- MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Waldemar C.*EwaldsonQMillington, N. J., as- Signor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York I Application October 15, 1943, Serial No. 506,455. (01. 259-4) 6 Claims.

This'invention relates to material handling apparatus, and more particularly to'apparatus gor handling carbon compounds for use in lapping ies.

tion comprises a receptacle for a material movratus, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken away;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of theapparatus, this view being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view 5 taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral |0 indicates a bracket having an inverted be described, as it is believed clearly shown in the various figures of the drawings.

On a shelf portion l5 of the bracket Ill, a motor 16 is mounted, this constituting the power meansfor the apparatus. The motor is included in a circuit (not shown) under the control of a switch I! which is of the push button type, it having a stop button l8 and a start button i9. The switch I! is also mounted upon What might "be termed a central portion 20 of the bracket ID in any suitable manner (not shown). Integral with the central portion 20 of the bracket is a tubular portion 23 which houses bearings 24 for rotatably supporting a shaft'25. A sheave 26, mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 25,

together with a sheave 21, mounted on the shaft 28 of the motor l6, aidedby a belt 29 operatively connect the shaft v25 to the motor. A pump housing 30 is mounted as at 3|, uponthe lower end of the tubular portion 23, and has an impeller 32 disposed therein and fixedly mounted upon the shaft'25, completing what is termed a circulating unit. An outlet for the pump, which .is composed of the housing 30 and the impeller 32, is indicated at 33, communicating with the compartment within the housing as indicated at 34 (Fig. 5). Other means (not shown) maybe provided to return the material to the receptacle.

Another impeller or agitating element 35 is mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 25 for a purpose hereinafter described.

A receptacle orbucket 38 of the contour shown has vertically extending hook-shaped arms 39 fixed at diametrically opposed positions, notches 4B in the upper ends thereof being adaptedto receive trunnions 4|. The trunnions 4| are carried by the outer ends of levers 42 which are mounted upon the outer ends of a shaft 43. The shaft 43 is journalled in suitable bearings in the bracket I0 and has a lever 44 fixed thereto intermediate its ends, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A nut '45 is pivotally supported by the outer end of the lever 44 through the aid of a spindle 46 integral with the nut and held against displacement relative to the lever by a fixed collar 41. An operating screw 43, threadedly disposed in the nut 45, has a hand wheel 50 mountedupon the outer end thereof and supported for rotation, but against axial movement, by a bearing element 5|. The bearing element 5 I, through the aid of an integral spindle 52, is journalled in a bearing portion 53 of the tends upwardly from its connection with the projection 58 to a position near the upper end 'of the portion ll of the bracket l0, and has 'a portion 6| which xtends substantially across the face of the switch H with an inwardly projecting guard portion 62. A sleeve 63, square in cross-section, is secured to the element 60 by suitable means such as welding, and is slidably mounted upon a guide bar 65. The guide bar is similar in cross-section to the'sleeve 63 excepting the lower portion 66 thereof, this portion being enlarged for mounting, as at 61, upon the adjacent portion of the bracket [0. 'Spaced apertures 68 and. 69 are disposed in the element 60, to respectively provide access to the push buttons l8 and I9 of the switch 11.

Referring momentarily to the bucket 38, handles are provided therefor for use in positioning the bucket in connection with the trunnions 4| and for removing the bucket therefrom when it is desirable to replenish the bucket with the material, which in the present instance is a carborundum compound indicated generally.

' a receptacle for a material, a unit for circulat- When the apparatus is in use, the bucket or receptacle is in the upper position shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 3 with the stop button I8 of the switch accessible to the operator, for example at the end of the day when the operation of the apparatus is stopped. If the apparatus remains idle for an extended period of time, such as overnight, the carborundum dust, in the water vehicle of which the material is composed, will settle during this time interval and become substantially a solid mass in the lower portion of the receptacle. To protect the pump portion of the apparatus against damage and to assure a thorough mixing of the material prior to "the circulation of the material to other apparatus, it is necessary to move the element 66 downwardly until the aperture 69 registers with the push button [9. At this time the receptacle 38 will also be lowered, moving the solid or settled portion of the material 1| away from the pump unit. This is brought about through r0- tation of the hand wheel 50, to rotate the screw 48 to move the nut 55 thereon to cause counterclockwise movement of the shaft 43 (Fig. 1) until the aperture 69 registers with the push or start button Is. At this time the button l9 may be actuated to close the switch I! to cause energi z'ation cf the motor It to drive the shaft 25, causing operation of the impellers 32 and 35. At this time interval, however, the bucket or receptacle 38 is in its lowermost position. It is necessary, therefore, to reverse the operation of the screw 48 through the aid of the hand wheel 50, to move the receptacle upwardly into it's uppermost position. The size of the threads of the screw 48 and the associated nut 45 will aid in determining the speed of travel of the receptacle 38 upwardly. Thus it is possible to limit the speed of movement of the receptacle upwardly, giving the impeller 35 sufiicient time to thoroughly mix the material as the settled portion thereof is brought into registration with the impeller. Thus during operation of the appa'ratus, the switch l1, that is the stop button i8 thereof, is accessible to stop the apparatus, but through the aid of element 60, the start button I9 is accessible only when the receptaclce is moved to its lowermost position.

Although specific improvements of the invent'ion have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A material handling apparatus comprising a receptacle for a material, a unit for circulating the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, a switch having starting and stopping members actuable for starting and stopping the mg the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, means to lower and raise the receptacle to move the material free of the unit, or surround the unit with the material, a stop switch member actuable to stop the motor, a start switch member, and a guard movable with the receptacle to cover the start switch member and render it accessible for actuation only when the receptacle is in its lowered position.

'3. A material handling apparatus comprising a receptacle for a material, a unit for circulating the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, means to lower and raise the receptacle to move the material free of the unit or surround the unit with the material, a stop switch member actuable to stop the motor, a start switch member, means to render the start switch member accessible for actuation only when the receptacle is'in its lowered position, and means to agitate the material during the raising of the receptacle.

4. A material handling apparatus comprising a receptacle for a material, a unit for circulating the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, means to lower and raise the receptacle to move'the material free of the unit or surround the unit with the material, a stop switch member actuable to stop the motor, a start switch member, and an element movable with the receptacle to render the start switch member accessible for actcuation only when the receptacle i in its lowered position.

5. A material handling apparatus comprising a receptacle for a material, a unit for circulating the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, means to lower and raise the receptacle to move the material free of the unit or surround the unit with the material, a stop switch member actuable to stop the motor, a start switch member, and a guard movable with the recepitacle and having apertures therein to render the start and stop switch members respectively accessible when the receptacle is in its lowered and raised positions.

6. A material handling apparatus comprising a receptaccle for a material, a unit for circulating the material, a motor adapted to actuate the unit, means to lower and raise the receptacle to move the material free of the unit or surround the unit with the material, a stop switch member actuable to stop the motor, a start switch member, a guard movable with the receptacle and having apertures the-rein to render the start and stop switch members respectively accessible when the receptacle is in its lowered and raised positions, and an impeller driven by the unit to agitate the material during the raising of the receptacle.

WALDEMAR C. EWALDSON. 

